The Problem With Your Return
by I-Am-Kingofgames
Summary: The world wasn't quite as "saved" as they thought. But when something important is very different, will they get along well enough to save the world? Or will this tear them apart forever? A spin on the classic "bring the spirits back" AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This is currently a one-shot just to get this AU idea out of my head and onto paper, but if I get some reviews that like it, I might very well continue. It's just a matter of if people want more or not.**

* * *

It's been an entire month since Yugi watched the big ominous doors close, and it felt like a part of his soul went beyond them, along with his other half. However, something went wrong in that whole "save the world" thing. Apparently, the world wasn't remotely saved. And as much faith as everyone had in Yugi, they knew what they had to do. So Ishizu found a ritual she thought would work, and before they all knew it, they were back on planes to Egypt. Or rather, one plane. A private jet belonging to a CEO desperate to get his rival back.

As much as Seto didn't want to admit that he'd met and dueled an ancient king, there was no denying that Yugi was different. He wanted to duel Yugi like he used to be. So, if there was a way to get _that_ Yugi back, then he was very willing to spare a day or two, trying to make it happen.

Mokuba knew better than his brother, and was completely willing to accept the pharaoh's existence. He shot glances at Yugi, smiling, knowing what this must've meant for him. Only imagining what it must've been like to have someone's soul so very close to yours, and then to lose them, only to regain them a month later.

That was, _if_ the ritual worked. Ishizu mentioned it would be difficult, and that it didn't have a high success rate. She warned her two teenaged participants that they might need to be strong. Especially emotionally.

Yugi and Ryou didn't understand exactly what she mean, but they did understand emotional strength. With all that they'd been through, it was a miracle they weren't numb to the entire world around them.

Yugi was excited, of course. Excited and scared. Nervous about what Ishizu said, and about seeing his other half again. About what it would be like if the ritual did work, and Yugi could see him as a living person again...alive, with flesh and bones and a real voice, and his wonderful crimson eyes, and the smile Yugi had grown so used to seeing until about a month ago...

Ryou was nervous. Sure, he and the spirit might've had _moments_ that were less than pure torture, but all in all, the spirit was an abuser. Emotionally and physically. And Ryou didn't want to have much to do with him if he came back.

"He won't be the same," Ishizu mentioned, when the subject was brought up.

"What do you mean...?" Ryou wasn't sure he wanted to know, but his curiosity got the better of him.

She sighed, not looking sad or upset, but weary. Tired of all the magic, and strange world-ending threats, and of putting these two teenaged boys in danger.

"It is said that true evil isn't allowed to exist beyond the gates of the afterlife. His soul will have been cleansed, if he returns. He won't be a good person, necessarily, but he's unlikely to be as bad as he was."

Ryou didn't say what he was thinking. No, he didn't want any of them thinking that he and the spirit had been even friends, because they hadn't been, but... he was Ryou's only companion for a very long period of time. And having someone tied to your soul, even if they cause you pain, can still be comforting. Even if Ryou had to worry about getting shut in his soul room for days, he didn't have to worry about anyone hurting him anymore. He felt, through his fear and frustration with the spirit, a small sense of protection. He didn't think the spirit was capable of liking him, even as a friend, even as a human being. But was he really willing to try all over again, when the spirit was flesh and blood and could touch him? Could hurt him?

He wasn't sure.

Yugi didn't want his friends to know just how torn up he'd been over the loss of his best friend and other half. Of course, he was going to downplay it. But he was so desperate, he expected something like this. Another chance. He looked forward to it with every fiber of his being, but he crossed his fingers and prayed that the 'complications' Ishizu mentioned wouldn't cause his Yami any pain.

He'd rather Yami be at rest but away from him, than in pain but with him. He loved him. He was willing to sacrifice for him.

Nobody was allowed to know much about the ritual, besides the fact that she'd need Yugi and Ryou's blood. Something about how bringing them back to flesh would require something of their other halves bodies, as well. So they really would be a part of them again.

It happened faster than Yugi expected. Less than an hour off of the plane, they were in a tomb. Ishizu reading words from some ancient block of text, everyone staring in awe, hoping it would work.

For Yugi and Ryou, it seemed too fast.

Far too fast.

Yugi and Ryou were in front. Yugi wanted to be the first thing his other half saw, when he came back. If he came back.

Ryou wasn't sure why he was in front, but Ishizu seemed to think it was a good idea, and he was certainly happy to have the good view so he would know immediately what was going on.

Of course, front row seats were nice until the gentle glow became a blinding light, and they had to cover their eyes with one hand, while Ishizu's low mumble of a chant became _yelling_ and the entire room started to feel more intense.

Two figures came into focus, and Yugi's heart was beating so hard he thought it might either stop, or beat right out of his chest.

As the shadow figures emerged from the light, the onlookers started to be able to make out features.

Long white hair.

Bakura was to the left, in front of Ryou.

Those characteristic spikes.

There he was, right in front of Yugi.

As though he'd never left.

He told himself to wait. ' _Wait, Yugi. Don't rush. Bad things happen when you rush things.'_ he told himself, repeatedly.

He wanted to run right into the light, and take back what he'd lost a month ago.

Ryou stood, stunned. Afraid. Would the spirit hurt him? Would he yell at him?

Yugi took in beautiful crimson eyes, and dark skin, and spiked hair, all belonging to his other half, who was raising a hand to block out the intense light around him.

There he was. Yugi didn't move, didn't so much as breathe, as he watched his other self, his Yami, finally step towards him.

As the light died, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Everyone watched as Yugi finally launched himself at the man, everyone smiling assuming that this would be the reunion of the century.

Nobody expected what happened next. But especially not Yugi. He'd waited so long for this, or what felt like so long. He really didn't expect this.

There was recognition in Yami's eyes, yes.

But no love. No longing, no 'I missed you', none of that.

Instead, he looked at Yugi like he was someone he disliked. Like he was an enemy. He gave Yugi the same look you give a kid who's getting on your last nerve.

And he hissed through clenched teeth, "Get off of me!"

His expression made Yugi wonder for a second if he had run at the right man. But there were his eyes, just like Yugi had always known, crimson red and lined in long black eyelashes. There were his bangs brushing the sides of his face, and somehow making it look regal instead of childish like people thought Yugi looked.

But his expression held none of the compassion he once had. None of his strength. None of...him.

"Yugi!" He heard from across the room. Who? He didn't even care. He was close to tears. His Yami had changed. He didn't want him anymore, it seemed.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw someone else rushing towards him. Ryou? No. Dark skin, a scarred face, and eyes that struck fear into Yugi's very soul.

"Yugi, I-!" The thief stopped as he seemed to notice who was standing in front of Yugi. They locked eyes. They both looked utterly shocked, and all Yugi and Ryou could do was stare.

Yugi flinched as he heard the thief's voice again, before he went into shock at what he said.

"Aibou, I think we've got a problem..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

 **This chapter contains a character experiencing a panic attack. If those sorts of things bother you, please proceed with caution.**

 **As I'm sure some people might question my ability to write a panic attack, it should be known that I write from experience.**

 **I'm actually very emotionally invested in this story, myself, so I do hope you enjoy reading this.**

"I-I'm confused..."

So much had happened in the last few minutes, and now Yugi was feeling lightheaded trying to process what was still happening.

Ishizu was frantically trying to figure out what went wrong, with Marik's help, and he heard several voices speaking at once, as all of his friends apparently felt the need to comment on the situation.

One of the voices he could hear through the hectic feeling in the room made his chest hurt.

So familiar.

It was a voice he'd almost never heard aloud, only in his head. Never being heard physically, with his ears. A voice only he could ever hear.

He was standing in stunned silence, and he hadn't remembered starting to cry, but he could feel a tear slip down his face, as the voice was saying things he couldn't possibly have imagined it would say.

It sounded angry.

It wasn't speaking to him, but hearing that tone was frightening, and only made him remember how he'd just been treated.

He was talking to Ryou, it seemed.

"After all that, after _three thousand YEARS_ you had to go and **bring me back?!** "

He tuned out Ryou's stuttering reply. The voice he'd known for so long, yelling at someone innocent like that... it sounded so unnatural.

A voice beside him broke him out of his trance, but he didn't turn to see the face yet. He just kept staring at the wall and tried to process the words.

It was a gravely voice, not fit at all for it's soft tone, and just hearing the voice itself gave Yugi flashbacks of things he didn't particularly want to remember. A person who scared him. Someone who he didn't want anything to do with.

"Aibou, don't cry..."

Yugi turned now to look at him, flinching when he realized he was closer than he thought. His expression was soft, but it didn't change the fact that the sight of him made Yugi want to take a step back.

His long messy white hair and scar were things Yugi used to recognize a person he didn't want to be standing this close to.

When the man reached for him, Yugi _did_ take a step back.

He froze with his hand hovering in the air, looking almost hurt.

Yugi didn't speak. He was still overwhelmed. Simply letting all of this happen was taking all of his mental processing ability. He didn't have room to try to form words. What could he say?

The room was still hectic feeling, and at this point Yugi wasn't sure if it was _really_ hectic, or if it was just in his head.

Finally, the man standing in front of him let his hand fall back to his side, looking defeated.

"How long has it been?" He asked quietly, hoping not to scare the boy in front of him any further.

Yugi still couldn't bring himself to form words, even at the man's expectant gaze.

"That's your school uniform, isn't it? So you can't have graduated yet, right?"

He still had the nagging feeling that he shouldn't tell this man too much. Shouldn't tell him anything he didn't have to tell him. It was once important that he didn't know their plans. Their strategies.

He finally gained the ability to turn and look at where Ryou and the other Egyptian were speaking. His chest hurt again and he realized how much he longed to speak to the one he recognized. The one with hair so much like his and a face he'd looked into thousands of times.

A heavy sigh. A woman's voice this time. Izhisu seemed disappointed.

"It didn't work..." Yugi mumbled, giving her a sad glance from behind his bangs.

She looked almost surprised.

"No, it worked. It just...The blood samples got mixed up."

Yugi was having trouble deciding what that meant, since she had kept the entire ritual fairly secret, before now.

"But that's not...it's...he's not...that's not my..."

He stuttered, trying to tell Ishizu that his Yami wasn't here. That can't have been him, he wasn't here.

"Yugi." She caught his eyes, "I'm going to leave you to talk, alright? I know this must be hard to take in."

And before he could reply, she walked away. Leaving him alone with the thief. He didn't want to be alone with him.

Yugi found himself instead staring at the part of the room Ryou and what looked like Yami were in.

Until a voice broke him away from his thoughts. The same voice that made him flinch. The one he had good reason to be scared of.

"Yugi... look at me...?"

Yugi did catch his eyes, but even though the gray/purple eyes were soft, Yugi's own remained full of fear.

"Don't be afraid..."

The man's tone was so soft compared to what they had heard from him before.

He slowly, cautiously reached for Yugi again, this time making contact with his upper arm before Yugi pulled away.

"D-Don't...don't..."

Yugi didn't want to let him close. He was still confused and the last thing he needed was to be within a knife's reaching range of the thief.

Yugi found himself looking again to the other part of the room, almost instinctively for protection from his other half.

He took another step back when the thief tried to approach him again.

"N-No I..."

The expression on his face was so strange. It didn't fit at all. He looked...not like himself. This wasn't the thief that Yugi knew. He looked too kind.

"Yugi, It's me...this is strange, I know...it's...wrong. But it _is_ me..."

Yugi took another step back, as the thief reached for him again.

"I-I don't-..."

The man sighed, and finally backed away, looking sad. Not just defeated this time, actually sad.

His thoughts were racing. He couldn't bring himself to speak full sentences because he was thinking too quickly to do so. He couldn't stop himself from shooting glances at where Ryou and "Yami" were standing. He knew, somewhere, in the back of his mind, what had happened. But it hadn't hit the rest of him, yet. He hadn't processed it yet.

The man in front of him scared him. His voice scared him and his eyes scared him and his every movement scared him.

What he heard earlier still hurt. It cut deep, into his soul he suspected. It certainly _sounded_ like his other half was speaking harshly to him. It sounded like after 6 months of being completely cut off, he hadn't wanted him close. Like after Yugi had grieved his loss for half of a year, he hadn't even wanted to come back.

There was the voice again, attempting to derail his train of thought again.

"He was cruel to you and you thought it was me, didn't you."

Yugi finally could bring himself to respond, only, not in the form of words. Just in the form of a nod. A tiny nod, just enough to let the man know what he meant to say.

"It wasn't me, Aibou, I promise. I _promise_."

Yugi took a minute to breathe, hearing those words in that voice spoken by that man, with that face.

He also needed a minute to organize his thoughts or he was going to find himself unable to speak for even longer.

"But y-you're not-..."

He looked almost surprised. His slight shock melted into another caring expression that made Yugi nervous. The thief was an actor. He pulled things like this to get people close enough to him to hurt them.

"Aibou, it's _me_. It's Yami. It's your 'other self'. Remember?"

It can't have been. No, this can't have been happening. His Yami did not look like a tomb robbing thief with long messy white hair and gray/purple eyes.

"N-No..I..."

He attempted _again_ to reach for him, and this time he managed to grab onto Yugi's sleeve.

The boy didn't back away, but he got tense. Tense enough to make the man let go, looking disappointed.

"Please, Aibou...it's me...I know it doesn't look like it...I know what I look like right now..."

He saw movement around the room again, and upon turning to find out what was happening now, on top of his already overwhelmed mind, he saw someone overly familiar walking towards them faster than he could possibly process. It would only be a few more steps now.

The white-haired man glared at him, and it was a much more fitting look than his previous ones.

Finally, Yami was within 5 feet of him, and Yugi's desire to reach for him was almost too much.

Another step and it did become too much.

His overloaded brain couldn't process what was happening anymore, and he found himself grabbing onto the edge of Yami's long flowing purple cape.

He was met with a crimson-eyed glare.

"Listen, _child_. I know who I look like, but that does not mean you can come to me looking for sympathy or dare I say _affection_. Because you won't find it here."

His voice. Deep, and with a bitter edge Yugi had almost never heard from him. But oh, so familiar. Painfully so.

His eyes filled with new tears, but he couldn't bring himself to let go.

A hand was over his before he realized the thief had gotten close enough to touch him, gently encouraging him to let go, before wrapping their fingers together.

Yugi went completely stiff when he was suddenly in the thief's arms with no warning. He knew he had plenty of reason to fear being in this vulnerable position, until it hit him that he was being _hugged_. The thief didn't _hug_.

He couldn't move, couldn't relax a single muscle until the man released him.

And when he did, he saw something he never thought he'd see, for as long as he lived.

There were tears in the man's eyes.

"Alright...I see...I understand..."

Even his voice wavered with the threat of tears.

"Before I go...I want you to know that I _have_ missed you...and that I still care about you very deeply..."

And with that, he turned around and walked away. He sat on the floor against a wall, and let the tears fall.

And Yugi stood.

Uncomprehending.

In shock.

He wanted his Yami back.

The one that made sense. The one with the voice he remembered and face with expressions he'd spent years learning how to read.

Ryou was the next to approach him.

Ryou, having experience in the emotional shock department, knew better than to try to touch his friend right now. Instead, he stood a reasonable speaking distance away, close enough that they could hear each other talk, but outside of where he estimated Yugi's personal space bubble to be, and he attempted to reach him with words instead of a hand.

"You sent him away?"

Yugi's eyes were starting to look very far away. Slightly empty.

Ryou knew that look. Definitely shock.

"Ryou...what happened...?"

He also knew better than to beat around the bush right now. What his friend needed was clear words and concepts. Right to the point.

"They switched bodies. Or, appearances, I suppose, since they didn't have bodies before this...That really is him, Yugi. I know it's weird...so weird...talking to him looking like that is honestly the strangest thing...but it's real...I'd know him anywhere..."

Yugi stared through Ryou, his eyes unwilling to focus.

"How do we fix it...?"

He just wanted his Yami back.

"I uhh... Ishizu said that this will serve our purposes... this is how it's going to be, Yugi..."

Yugi's world spun, at those words. It felt like the world was crashing down on him. In fact, it was getting very hard to breathe. Too hard.

"Ishizu! I think Yugi's having a panic attack!"

Panic attack? No, he didn't have those, did he?

He barely processed the thief attempting to return to his side before someone, he wasn't sure who, said something about that being a bad idea, and he ended up sitting in his place against the wall again.

His lips were drying out, his breath was coming and going so quickly.

He felt a hand steady his shoulder.

He heard arguing behind him but he couldn't tell who it was, at this point. Things were spinning. The tips of his fingers were going numb.

He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to keep standing.

Until he heard a _very_ familiar voice coming from behind him, and although he wanted to turn around, he didn't have the energy.

"Breathe."

Yami's voice. The one he'd been waiting to hear again for 6 months. His real voice.

Arguing from behind him again.

He managed to catch bits of the argument this time.

"I can't comfort him like I need to right now!-Why should I help you?-Please!-"

"It's going to be alright." The voice again. It was helping him. He was able to make an attempt to slow his breathing, now.

More words from behind him. They were so fast, he didn't care to try to decide who was saying them.

"Softer. Like you care.-but I don't care- don't let him know that! You're supposed to be me right now!-"

More whispers that he really really didn't have the energy to try to listen in on.

His lips dry and sore, his hands tingling and numb, he only now realized he'd been crying. Sobbing.

Gasping for air again, he finally made himself speak.

"Yami...Y-Yami..."

"Close your eyes."

Yugi gasped again, and tried to slow his breathing but wasn't having much luck.

"N-No I'll fall... I'll fall..."

What Yugi couldn't see, was that behind him two former spirits who happened to look like each other were arguing. One of them had his hands firmly on Yugi's shoulders, and the other was providing the comforting voice.

Yami had been desperately begging the theif to impersonate him, if only for a moment, to get Yugi through this.

It surprised Ryou that the thief agreed.

"Fine. Just for a second. Just to get his obnoxious crying to stop."

Perhaps this was a little of the soul cleansing Ishizu was talking about? Maybe there was a bit more good in him now?

And so, with Yami telling the thief what to say, they slowly tried to help calm Yugi down.

"Tell him you'll catch him, and then let me do it. Tell him to keep his eyes closed. Please try to be nice about it..."

Yugi stood with his back to the voices he was hearing. He couldn't turn around. He wasn't sure he could still even feel his feet.

"You won't fall, I've got you. Trust me. Close your eyes."

The voice Yugi trusted more than anything in the entire world.

And so he obeyed.

Strong arms wrapped around him, and the familiar voice, although not as close as he would think it should be, said quietly, "Keep your eyes closed."

"Are we almost done here?"

"Shhh!"

He was confused at what he was hearing. But he _was_ calmer now. Whether it was due to time, or the voices, he wasn't sure.

He relaxed into the sturdy grip.

Still choking on sobs, he still felt entirely overwhelmed. It was nice to have one source of input cut off, so he could process things better.

A hand was in his hair, moving slowly and gently.

He wanted to open his eyes, but he was slightly afraid of what he'd see.

"D-Don't let g-go...don't...don't..."

More harsh whispers and then finally,

"I won't."

He continued to cry. He still wasn't sure what was happening, but at least his tears were becoming a more normal crying session and less attack-ish.

"Can you lift him?"

A woman's voice.

He didn't hear a reply, but after a few seconds, he was lifted into being carried, bridal style.

That scared him a little.

Enough that after 10 or 12 steps, he couldn't help but open his eyes.

And couldn't help but notice _who_ was carrying him.

He froze. He didn't want to be dropped, but this scared him.

"It's alright, Aibou...I won't drop you."

This was not the voice that comforted him. This was the one that scared him further.

The voice he wanted was somewhere to his left, saying things that didn't make sense.

"After all that work he's just going to end up the same way 10 minutes from now, isn't he."

"Bakura, would you kindly _shut it_? You're not helping."

That didn't make sense at all.

Finally he was starting to be able to think again.

Switched appearances.

"Relax, Aibou. I've got you."

But it wasn't the voice that would have helped.

Before he knew it, they were outside in the sunlight.

And then in the back of a jeep. Fortunately, the man had to put him down for the ride.

He didn't like being that close to him. He didn't like contact.

He wasn't sure where they were going, but he needed quiet time to process this.

So, in short, he was realizing, the person who looked like his Yami was actually the thief Bakura.

So that meant...


	3. Chapter 3

Yugi didn't, couldn't, process the heat, even as intense as it was.

Was too lost in his own thoughts to register the sand all around them.

As they seemingly rushed towards their destination, his eyes became almost useless as his thoughts took over, leaving him staring blankly.

The kind of staring at nothing where a friend or a sibling waves in front of your face asking if you're home and your only reply can be 'I was thinking!'

Yami was back.

But it wasn't Yami. It was Bakura. He was mean. Cruel.

Wasn't there something else? Oh yeah, something about a prophecy Ishizu had mentioned, to hint towards the reason they were bringing them back.

He supposed they had to let the ancient spirits know about it, now.

And it seemed to confirm his thoughts when the vehicle stopped, pulling into a museum parking lot.

The white-haired man glanced back at him sadly. He returned a blank expression.

His face wasn't naturally angry, as Yugi had assumed before. It wasn't a built-in feature. He didn't have menacing eyebrows or a permanent frown, but that didn't stop him from looking frightening.

He looked like he might've been all of 24, definitely a man, and older than Yugi had remembered seeing him last.

His white hair fell around his face as he turned away from Yugi, apparently very interested in the task at hand.

The man who looked like his Yami was also there, but didn't make any attempt to so much as look at him.

That was ok, because Yugi had a hard time looking at him, too. It hurt to look at him and know there was no recognition there.

They were all led into the building, as Ishizu seemed to prepare to explain.

"I feared what it meant when I saw it. I thought, as I'm sure the both of you did, that your destiny was complete. That you would be allowed to rest after so long...but not only did this provide evidence that you were needed here, it provided a ritual with which to call you back."

Everyone stood, shocked.

"What does it say, exactly?"

His voice was still too gentle now, compared to the ways they'd heard it speaking before. Before, hearing this voice speak that gently would be considered a threat. An evil plot, at best.

"It is...vague."

Of course it was. Wasn't it always?

"But," Marik cut in, "It seems to roughly translate to something like this:"

 _In order to achieve true peace, our king (the name here was scratched out) must return to the world of living flesh, alongside he who served as his rival, on a quest to save his world._

They all stood, taking in the words.

Yes, it was definitely vague.

Yugi spoke, his voice still unsure, but feeling the question necessary.

"How...do you know it's not talking about the first time...?"

Everyone, including the thief and the man with his Yami's eyes, turned to look at him. And then they all turned their eyes to Ishizu, awaiting an answer. Yugi was glad. He didn't think he could take either of the men looking at him for that long.

"That's what we thought at first too. Below the text Marik read, is a ritual. A ritual so old and powerful that I almost wasn't comfortable performing it. If it had meant the two of you were to return to flesh using host bodies, the ritual wouldn't have been necessary. It's carved in the same style as the one who carved the initial message, so it was likely put there at the same time."

Before Yugi even had time to completely process that, the white-haired man started speaking again.

"How do you know it refers to me?"

His question sounded quiet. Almost as though he already knew the answer, but asked again, just for good measure. Of course it was about him. Who else on earth besides those two would be so caught up in ancient prophecies and returning to flesh when it shouldn't be allowed, and magic and rituals? No, of course it was about him.

"Because there are carvings."

Pictures? Well, that would certainly prove it. Only one man/family line in existence had hair like his/theirs.

And sure enough. There it was. Instead of him and Kaiba, this time it was him and the thief Bakura.

It seemed sealed, then. That was it. One final, final quest, to send him to true peace.

Could he do that again? Could he honestly, a second time, sacrifice everything just to lose his other half right in front of him _again_?

He turned to Yami before it hit him all at once that it wasn't who he thought it was. Of course. He kept forgetting.

The thief turned to look at him, trying to catch his eyes again.

When he got no response from his partner, not so much as a soft smile, he turned back to Ishizu.

"Is there anything there about our little...problem?"

Ishizu seemed to read over the text again, double checking, being sure, following orders.

"No. It says nothing about change of appearance. That might be our mistake, Pharaoh."

It was strange to see her refer to anyone that way anymore, but to say that directly to the _thief,_ it felt wrong.

Because the thief couldn't be _his_ Pharaoh. He was still unbelieving of that so-called fact.

He was acting. It wasn't his Yami. He was trying to get him close enough to hurt him. He was trying to lure him in and then hurt him.

Surely.

"So, what do you think, Ai-...Yugi? One more round?" He said with a small careful smile on his face. Yugi heard that slip. He almost called him partner again. Why the switch? Did he see that Yugi wasn't buying it?

"Is it like I have a choice...?" He nearly whispered.

All eyes were on him. They looked almost sad. Like they knew something he didn't.

"I know you've been through a lot to help him in the past, Yugi." Ishizu's voice. "But he needs you now more than ever."

"I...I don't care what he needs..."

He glanced at the thief to see raw _hurt_ on his face. It was almost enough to make him wince.

When Izhisu opened her mouth to speak again, he raised a hand to stop her.

"It's alright. He's right. He's done so much more for me than I could ever repay. He doesn't owe me anything."

He turned then, to Yugi, kneeling to reach his level, wanting exact eye contact.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me. If we're truly going to part ways here, I would ask only one thing of you."

A glance around the room found everyone appalled, but seemingly more so at _Yugi_ than at the words being exchanged.

"And...what would that be...?"

He smiled so sadly it hurt, and he spoke so softly Yugi almost heard the true voice behind his words.

"A final embrace. If we are not meant to be together through this, I swear to you, I will _miss you._ Just one last moment alone with you, is all I ask before we part for good."

Yugi thought he saw, again, the threat of tears in those unfamiliar eyes.

"Pharaoh, I doubt he-" It was one of his friends, Anzu or Jou or someone from home.

"Do not speak for him. He is allowed to feel bitter towards me. He's allowed to hate me, if that's how he feels, and I will never blame him for it."

Yugi was getting dizzy again, so he made himself consider the request.

The thief wanted to be close to him. Too close. But there were so many people watching. Surely he wouldn't do anything in front of all those people.

"I don't know if it'll be that easy, Pharaoh. We...expected for you to stay with him for the next while, until we figure out what to do next. To be entirely honest, there are no other options readily available."

He shook his head sadly, and rethought his question.

"Alright then, I would ask two things of you, apparently. One last moment alone with you, and permission to sleep in your guest room. I won't speak to you, if you wish, or even be home when you're home. It...would be nice to see it again. I've missed it."

Anzu finally made her voice known.

"Yugi, don't you see who this is?!"

No. He didn't. But he'd pretend he did for the next few minutes.

"Ok. I don't see why not. But...if you hurt my grandpa, I swear, I'll...I'll send you back to the afterlife with nothing but a dull kitchen knife..."

He'd really worn off on the boy hadn't he.

Hurt was visible across his face again, nonetheless.

"Yugi, it's _me_..."

"Stop saying that. If you want to be close to me for a minute, fine, but stop saying you're someone you're not!"

The room was silent. Yugi was in denial, they knew.

The thief took a step back. He looked pretty much how Yugi expected him to look. Slight shock. Yes, he'd figured out his little game.

"Stop pretending..."

Yugi's words were softer and held more emotion than he'd intended for them to, but he was getting his point across, regardless.

" _Aibou..._ "

His tone was familiar, even though his voice was so very different.

Yugi hadn't been close enough to tears to be worried. The thief had threatened tears, but hadn't shed any since they'd gotten in the car.

No, it wasn't until the man who looked like his Yami spoke, that he felt tears come to the surface.

"Get over yourself. It's not that hard to understand."

The thief glared at him, but he didn't seem to care.

Yugi stood frozen, tears starting to make themselves known, one sliding down his face despite how much he didn't want to cry.

"Aibou, don't listen to him...he's nothing but a stolen voice, ok? He's not me."

But the familiar voice didn't seem ready to stop.

"Everyone else in this room has already come to terms with it, and that includes the people who it actually affected! I knew you were ignorant but I didn't realize it was this bad."

Yugi tried to fight back a sob. He failed.

"Y-Yami I..."

"Bakura, stop." His voice was approaching similar tone to that they'd heard before, when he was evil. Was he still evil? "Yugi," it was softer now, gentle tones, "It's alright. Don't cry..."

But the voice still didn't stop, in fact, it was sounding almost angry now.

"Haven't you ever heard of tough love, Pharaoh? Perhaps it's time we made him realize it the hard way! He's obviously almost as delusional as you are if he still can't see the truth!"

Those were the eyes Yugi remembered seeing on the thief. Cold and hard and angry.

"I said stop! He's having trouble with this, and honestly it's YOUR fault! He's scared of me because I look like YOU!"

"Stop it!"

Yugi had learned how project his voice, and honestly it sounded a whole lot like it used to when it was _someone else_ using it. The thought didn't help his tears any. He wished he could feel the connection between them like the old times, but he had no such luck. They'd been brought back as flesh and blood, and no such connection existed anymore.

The room went silent, surprised at his outburst.

"You," he pointed at the man who still looked too much like his other half, "I don't want to see you anymore. It doesn't matter who you are, I'm mad at you right now."

It was strange to see Yugi, their innocent little Yugi, this angry.

"And you." he turned to face the thief. "You want a minute alone with me? Fine. Just don't think I'll die without putting up a fight. There's no puzzle anymore. I don't know what you want."

Yami knew Yugi was in deep denial. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew he was. It sort of made sense. The first words he heard from what he _thought_ was his other half, were cruel. This must've been his coping mechanism.

So should he play along?

"I don't want to hurt you. I just want to be with you for a minute before we go our separate ways."

He _sounded_ genuine to Yugi's ears. That was the problem with the thief. He could _act._

"That's fine I guess. Just a few minutes? I...I want to go home."

Yami's heart broke.

"You'll be home soon. Yes, just a few minutes, ok? 5 or 10."

"Ok. What do you want to do for 5 or 10 minutes alone with me, exactly?"

As the rest of the room was filtering out to give them their time, Yugi started to get a little nervous. He didn't want to be alone with this man.

"Just talk. I won't hurt you." He was repeating himself but perhaps it was necessary. "I have an idea. Here, sit down."

Yugi was wary of anything the thief said. This was the deepest and realest kind of denial.

They sat back to back, as the man suggested, and Yugi wasn't sure why, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as he'd imagined it would be.

"Can I ask you something?" The deeper more gravely voice asked him from behind.

"Sure I guess." Yugi was wary, but he wasn't unwilling to answer questions.

"Do you miss him?"

It hurt Yami that he didn't get to ask him directly, didn't get to speak about himself in the first person, didn't get to look into his eyes and ask 'did you miss me', as he'd hoped for.

Yugi knew who he was asking about.

"Y-Yes. I do...I've...missed him for a long time..."

Yami knew what he had to ask next. He was hoping it would help, if not bust through his denial, maybe at least it would let him know what his partner was thinking.

"What would you say to him if he was here right now?"

Yugi froze, and he could feel the smaller boy's muscles tensing up, against his back.

"...Why do you want to know...?"

He knew that if he let himself get nervous about answering, Yugi would take it as a threat. So he forced himself to stay relaxed.

"I'm just curious."

"I would tell him..."

Yami felt the first sob, as well as heard it. He wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but he knew he couldn't move, or Yugi would be suspicious.

"I'd tell him I've missed him...I'd ask if he's been happy...if he missed me too..."

He took a deep breath, and he was sure Yugi felt it, with how close they were.

"I can promise you that he missed you too."

Yugi sniffed before speaking again, seeming almost embarrassed about his tears.

"How do you know...?"

A pause again. Could he ask this? It was worth a shot.

"Yugi, who do you think I am? I'm not the thief Bakura. So who am I?"

Silence. He knew Yugi well enough to know what the room felt like when he was thinking. There wasn't a much better way to describe it. It wasn't a connection, no. It wasn't a tense feeling, but it was the feeling of his partner deep in thought.

"I know who you _say_ you are..."

Yami tried his hardest to keep calm. Relaxed. Don't let Yugi get suspicious.

"You don't believe it...why not?"

Yugi's voice started getting quiet. Cautious, and with a hint of his old shy-ness.

"Because...because you're not...I'd know him anywhere...if you were him, I'd feel it...with how close we're sitting, I'd just... _know_..."

Alright, that was actually a valid observation. He was right, their connection was gone.

"I'll give you that, Yugi. Ready to go home?"

He could feel Yugi nod behind him.

"Yeah. Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

"Lets go home."

Yugi moved to stand up from his sitting position on the floor, back to back with someone he didn't even want to be within arm's reach of.

He was embarrassed he'd cried in front of him.

A lot of tears had been flowing lately, he supposed.

"Yugi, wait... "

A voice from behind him as he was moving to leave the room.

The talk with the man hadn't been as uncomfortable as he'd imagined. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps it wasn't the thief, as they'd known him, after all. Maybe he'd changed.

Of course, he still can't have been who he said he was, and he still had to be careful. The man who this looked like was still an _excellent_ actor, and villain.

"One last thing, Aibou...remember...?"

Oh yeah. He'd agreed to hug him. Wouldn't that be awkward?

Why did he want that anyways?

Whatever. He'd humor him.

He nodded, and the man slowly, carefully put his arms around him. There was a lot of emotion in the way he was so gentle but caring when he pulled him close.

Almost enough to make it less awkward, when Yugi moved to return the gesture.

He felt the man tense, as Yugi's arms barely reached high enough to wrap around the back of his ribcage, loosely, but there.

He felt a gasp from the taller man, and he was left not understanding why.

Tears? Weren't there already too many tears over the last day?

Yugi could tell he wasn't ready to let go, but as scared as he was, he stayed still, and let the man hold him.

In fact, he spoke quietly, the two of them still standing in the quiet room, holding on to each other.

"Why are you crying...?"

He let out a gasping sob, at those words. He had to steady his breath again before speaking.

"...I'm going to miss you, mou hitori no ore..."

A name he hadn't heard in a long, long time. His other half almost never used it. Was this the thief trying to get to him?

"It's...not like we'll be far apart..."

Yugi, after all this, was still Yugi. And he still felt the need to comfort people who cried. Regardless of what they'd done to him in the past.

"I know you want to go separate ways after this. I respect that choice. I'll just..." Another gasping sob. He trusted Yugi enough to show this intense display of emotion in front of him? "...We're saying goodbye again, for real this time, and you don't even recognize me for who I really am..."

To Yugi's shock, he continued talking, seemingly to himself, if it weren't for the way he addressed Yugi in his mumbles. He didn't let go, he just kept talking in a low voice.

"It's so hard to look at your face and see fear...it's so hard to see you cry and be unable to comfort you...it's hard to stand here and know that I can't feel any of your emotions...it's so _hard_ , Aibou..."

"I-I'm sorry...?"

There was a hint of a questioning tone at the end of his apology and he knew it didn't make sense. It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a real apology either.

His hand moved to brush through Yugi's hair, and the smaller boy stiffened again.

"I just wish you could see me...I wish you could see that I'm me...I wish you would let me comfort you as I know you would have if I'd come back looking like I was supposed to...I wish the sound of my voice didn't cause you to look at me like you're afraid...I'm trying, Aibou, I swear I'm trying so hard..."

Yugi stood in stunned silence, trying to take in the words, but still not accepting them as truth. Meanwhile, the man didn't seem ready to let go, or to stop talking.

"It's strange being so tall, you know."

At this point, it was meaningless chatter, wasn't it. Yugi didn't want to struggle. He didn't want to panic. But he was, in fact, as trapped as he could possibly be in that moment.

"I can't let go because I know that once I do, I'll never have this again."

It seemed, even the man holding onto him, was human. Or putting on a show. Yugi wasn't sure which one was the truth.

"I don't know if I can bear to see you look at me that way again, Aibou...I've tried being gentle with you, I've tried getting through to you with words, and nothing works and I'm just so-..."

"Atem."

A woman's voice. Stern.

When had Ishizu come back?

His head whipped around to look at her, at the sound of his real, and not often used, name.

"Let him go."

His shoulders fell in disappointment, as he finally, slowly, let his arms fall to his sides, and Yugi took two fearful steps back.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop looking at me like you're scared of me!"

Yugi's eyes went wide with new fear, as he took another three steps back, almost tripping over his own shoes on the way.

It struck the lonely once-spirit exactly what, or rather who, he sounded like.

"Yugi, Aibou, I'm sorry- I didn't mean-...please, I..."

"N-No...Don't talk to me...I'm going home..."

And with that, Yugi left the room. Yami tried to follow him, that was, until Ishizu's hand caught his wrist.

"Give him time, Pharaoh. He'll come around eventually."

But he wasn't so sure. He'd only managed to scare him further. Would Yugi ever recognize him? Or would they be forever stuck in this state of denial on Yugi's part and wishful thinking on Yami's?

It was a blur from the museum room they were in, to a car, to a plane, none of them speaking, none looking at each other except for brief glances.

Yugi was staring blankly again, as though the world no longer meant anything to him. There was no childish curiosity in his eyes, no wonder, no longing to learn and discover and _live_. Just blank, horrible, staring. His eyes passing over everything he looked at as they moved, but never taking it in.

They wouldn't let him sit by Yugi in the plane. A matter of "security" they said.

"I am not the thief!" But his yelling didn't help him prove his point.

Yugi turned to him as he was yelling, shocked at the sound, and then, a look he thought he'd never see from his other half. A glare. Yugi Mutou was glaring at him. He wondered if this is what he looked like when he was possessing him. He wondered if his own glare from Yugi's eyes felt this sharp.

He made himself turn away, not able to manage anything back to his partner but a look of shock, and then a few seconds of a hurt expression.

He didn't dare return Yugi's hateful gaze. No, he couldn't bring himself to. He still cared about him, after all.

Yugi seemed eager to get back home, once they landed.

He seemed in a hurry. The occasional glance back at Yami told him that he was in a hurry to _get away from him_. It hurt.

Without Ishizu at least, to keep him grounded, he wasn't sure how this was going to work. Ishizu understood what was happening. Yugi didn't.

He stood in the doorway of the placed he'd called "home" for years, although only through Yugi, and sighed. He'd wanted to see it again, yes. But he wasn't sure this was exactly what he had in mind. In fact, he was certain it wasn't. To be here again, to feel at home again, would be wonderful, but with Yugi angry with him, it dulled all the joy he would have gotten from it, and ended up feeling like a dagger in his heart, instead.

Yugi's grandpa didn't notice he was even standing there, until he was done reuniting happily with his grandson.

"Yugi, who's this...?"

Yugi sighed heavily, and opened his mouth to explain.

"Aibou, let me..."

Grandpa's eyes widened a little at the use of the word. Partner.

"You're the spirit of the puzzle, then?"

Yugi's doubtful eyes caught the ancient man's, and Yami simply pointed to the staircase.

Yugi didn't argue this time.

"Yes. Although, because of my appearance, Yugi refuses to recognize me as such. I...I'm surprised you recognized me... how did you know...?"

"Don't think I'm clueless just because I'm old!" The elderly man laughed, and for the first time since he'd been back, Yami smiled. It was small, but it was there. It was good to see grandpa again. He'd missed him. "I know there's no one else who'd refer to Yugi that way. You're obviously Egyptian. Two and two, you know."

"I always knew you knew more than you let on." he said, smirking. He'd known grandpa hadn't gotten any less smart, over the years. He suspected a lot, when he was just a spirit, that the man knew of his presence.

"So, tell me, _Pharaoh_ , why do you appear different?"

He gave grandpa the entire story. The man nodded occasionally, but mostly listened. He seemed to understand.

"So, Yugi is convinced that you're this tomb robber who's appearance you borrow?"

He nodded slowly, sadly.

"Hm." Grandpa seemed confused, if not concerned. "That's not really like him, you know...he's so good at seeing through people to what they really are, and especially with someone like you, who was as close to him as you were..."

He nodded again in response, thinking his answer over. He had immense respect for this man, and he was beyond happy to be recognized, finally.

"He denies it at every opportunity... He won't let me close to him, in physical proximity, or emotionally...it's...distressing."

Grandpa smiled, and for a second, he thought he saw a smirk on those old lips.

"You missed him."

"Immensely."

Grandpa smiled softly, almost sadly, and nodded at the staircase.

"Go see him. He'll understand, in time. I'm sure there's reason for this."

He was shocked, absolutely shocked, that the old man accepted him so quickly.

In fact, before he'd tried to quietly climb the staircase, when he'd mentioned that he had nowhere to stay, the man looked shocked. "Well, you're sitting here aren't you?"

To which he returned a shocked expression.

"You remember where the guest room is, right? You're always welcome here."

And he made him feel welcome, for the first time since he'd been back.

He wasn't used to his hair being this long, he noted as he climbed the squeaky staircase. Yugi would know it was him, because he was taller, and it sounded different than when grandpa climbed it.

Yes, he was really noticing how off things were since the last time he was here. Of course, last time he was here, it was in Yugi's body.

That was a strange thought. He'd inhabited the same body that the boy sitting on his bed staring off into space currently also inhabited. That seemed strange for some reason.

That was the first thing he noticed, when he pushed the door open gently. Yugi was staring again. Looking at nothing. He didn't cry, no, he was beyond tears now.

"Hey there..." He tried quietly. Softly. He couldn't let his voice scare him again.

"Can I help you?"

Yugi's formal tone struck him straight in the chest, like an arrow.

"I just wanted to say hello...I spoke to your grandfather...he knows about the situation, and about me borrowing the guest room for a while until this is over."

Yugi's facial expression didn't really change. It stayed flat.

"Oh? Good."

It was like Yugi had become a new person while he was gone. Although, he took comfort in the fact that grandpa seemed to see this behavior as strange.

"I guess...I'll go now..."

Yugi didn't even turn to look at him.

"Kay. Bye."

"Ai-...I...Goodbye..."

He was absolutely determined not to shed tears again. He didn't like goodbyes. He didn't pass by the table where grandpa was still sitting sipping coffee again. He went directly to the guest room, and laid on the bed to think. He was finally back. In this house again. Memories were hitting him and as much as he loved remembering everything with so much ease, it hurt to remember certain things so vividly right now.

The first night crossed his mind, but only briefly. Yes, he remembered his first night awake. He didn't know then, that he was a separate entity from Yugi. But the memories that seemed to be throwing themselves at him now, were from later.

From when they knew they were separate, and they could speak, and spend time together.

Yugi's smiling face. Yugi laughing with him, sharing emotion with him. Yugi lifting his mental barriers after an argument and sharing his heart with him again.

Unfortunately for him, the guest room was next to Yugi's room. It wasn't a huge room, but big enough for a bed, which was all he really needed.

Sadder memories hit him, and he didn't know which was worse. Remembering Yugi as happy when all he could get now was this glaring fearful stranger, or remembering him as sad, upset, hurt, and knowing that he was still unable to comfort him.

There were times that they argued. Those times hurt the most. The times when Yugi would cut him off completely from his emotions, his heart, and leave him floating aimlessly in his own void.

It hurt to think that that's essentially what Yugi was doing now. Cutting him off.

It had been a long day.

Too long.

Evident by the fact that he no longer had the energy to stop the tears from slipping down his face, anymore.

Eventually, although in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar _body_ the spirit managed to sleep for the first time in a very long time.

He drifted off, although not as peacefully as he would have liked.

And even when they were fighting, knowing that Yugi's presence was on the other side of the wall somehow made something better. It lifted his heart a little.

Maybe there was hope after all, he thought as he drifted off, not willingly surrendering to sleep, but not exactly putting up a fight either.

On the other side of the wall, Yugi wouldn't deny he heard the man's tears.

Part of him felt bad.

So so many tears in one day...such a long day.

And that's when he remembered why he originally left home anyway.

He was supposed to get Yami back.

Without realizing it, he'd already mentally called out to the spirit.

-mou hitori no boku, today was so-...-

He stopped in the middle, cutting his own thought-voice off.

After all that, he couldn't possibly cry too. But the sound of tears from the other side of the wall didn't help.

Fine, he thought. Why not talk to his Yami anyways, even if he wasn't there.

-I miss you. I thought I'd have you back by now. I thought you were coming home with me.-

He stifled his own tears now, burying his face in his blanket.

-I don't know who's on the other side of that wall, but he keeps saying he's you, Yami, and I'm scared, because he can't be...-

Yugi sobbed now, releasing all the tension the long day caused.

-You don't want me anymore do you...they said it wasn't you, when I ran to you at first, but it really looked like you...-

Yugi's eyelids started dropping, exhausted from the day, and then the crying.

He kept trying to send half put together thoughts across the void where his other half used to be.

-Yami I don't understand...I just...he hugged me and he cried and it seemed like you but he scares me so badly, Yami, don't you remember what he did...?-

Drifting in and out, all he wanted was a reply. Even knowing he wouldn't get one, he didn't stop.

-I'm so sleepy, Yami...-

He tried to imagine his darker half encouraging him to sleep, promising he'd be there in the morning, but it only made him cry harder.

-I miss you so badly...it was so quiet without you...my head is still so quiet I'm going insane...-

-Do you miss me too...?-

-Where are you...?-

Yugi was really drifting off now, his crying quieting down, as he finally let his body relax, at least, so he could get some rest.

-Where are you...?-


	5. Chapter 5

_Where are you...?_

He sat straight up, very suddenly awake. Not only did he wake up in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar _body,_ but this was also the first time he _woke up at all_ in a very long time.

He couldn't remember a dream, but he remembered hearing Yugi's voice.

What woke him up?

He sat quietly, confused in the dark room, having no idea what time it was or why he sat there awake.

Until he heard it.

From the other side of the wall. Obvious discomfort. Yugi.

Every little sensation surprised him, the cold of the floor when his feet hit it, his yawn when he took the first few steps, his heart beating hard, adrenaline rush, but he didn't have time to stand around savoring the feelings of being alive.

He threw his hair over his shoulder, a quickly developing bad habit, as he opened the guest room door quickly, stepping lightly, carefully, but still quickly, into Yugi's room.

The boy was still asleep, but not at all peacefully. He was tossing and turning, obviously in the middle of what must have been a horrible nightmare.

Yami was frozen in the doorway.

Every fiber of his being told him to help. Of course he should help! It was _Yugi._ How could he not help?

In seconds, his hand was gently on Yugi's shoulder. He kept his voice just above a whisper.

"Aibou, wake up..."

A groan, but no sign of waking. He was honestly fearful that Yugi was experiencing something awful. He'd seen some of Yugi's nightmares, back when they were...together. He knew the boy's mind had the capability to _torture_ him, if it so chose. Especially after days like yesterday...

Yugi was whispering in his sleep. Whimpering in fear, and calling out for help.

 _Yami...mou hitori-..._

Broken words, but enough. Enough to let him know that Yugi probably didn't actually hate him.

He was more relieved about it than he expected of himself.

"I'm here, Yugi... it's alright... you're safe... I'm here..."

But Yugi didn't calm down, and he didn't wake up either.

What was he supposed to do?

He gently shook his shoulders, absolutely not used to being physical alongside his partner. Usually if Yugi was having nightmares, Yami would go to the source of the problem and fix it there. It wasn't hard to wake someone up from the inside.

Yugi struggled in his sleep, still mumbling all the while.

 _No...no please..._

There was no way to know what he was talking about.

Yami shook his shoulders once again, just a little harder, forced to make his voice a little louder.

"Yugi, wake up. It's just a dream."

His eyes snapped open, and he looked around desperately, until his eyes caught the person standing over him.

And he screamed.

Yami froze.

Yugi's eyes were huge, as he backed away, backing himself into the corner of his bed, against the wall.

But it was his desperate plea for help that shattered the former-spirit's heart.

"Yami, help me!" he choked out. Aloud. His hand subconsciously reaching for something that was no longer there. Desperately grabbing at empty space, for the Millennium Puzzle. He'd called for help aloud. That only would have happened, Yami knew, if he hadn't gotten a mental reply.

"Yugi, calm down, it's me!"

Yugi was shaking.

"Mou hitori no boku, please! _Help!_ "

Hearing the old name poked at his already broken heart, sending pain through his being, and increasing the already present ache in his chest.

"Aibou, it's me! It's me... calm down..."

Yugi was still backed into the corner, eyes wide, shaking.

It was a horrible sight.

Yami's chest ached, feeling cold and empty, regretting his decision to come wake him from the nightmare.

" _Don't let him hurt me..."_

It was Yami's turn to sport a shocked look.

"Aibou, breathe...I'm not going to hurt you..."

But he knew his voice wasn't helping. He'd known what he looked like, and he should have known that he couldn't possibly have helped. But it was too much to watch his partner suffer and not help. He simply wasn't capable of it.

"Yami, please...! _Come back...!"_

 _Oh,_ his heart.

" _Hikari_ , I'm here...It's me, I'm here...I'm back... _It's me..."_

Yugi simply stared at him in disbelief.

What could he say that would help? How could he prove it? He'd already tried so hard to prove himself to Yugi. Nothing he did worked.

"Please don't hurt me..."

That was it, then.

He took a step back, his hands in the air.

"I promise, I won't hurt you."

It didn't ease Yugi's fear.

"Why are you here...?"

Yugi seemed to slowly be remembering the previous day, and using that information to calm himself at least a little.

"I...", his hands still up in the air, as though proclaiming his innocence to the world. "I heard you...it sounded like you were having a nightmare, so I came to try to wake you up..."

Yugi stared blankly at him for a moment before he spoke.

"Don't."

How many times in one night could his heart break?

"Alright."

He moved to leave the room. He hesitated at the door.

"I'm sorry."

He tried to convey his emotion through his eyes, but it wasn't much helping. Yugi's eyes in return looked blank. Not even a glare anymore, just a blank stare.

His initial plan was to go try to sleep more. But the experience was making his chest ache, and sleep wouldn't be easy. So instead, he found himself standing in front of the bathroom mirror, carefully examining his new appearance.

It certainly was different.

He traced his finger down the scar below his eye. Why did this body have it, anyway? To be brought back to new flesh, you wouldn't think things like scars would hang around.

But it was there, there was no denying it, and there wasn't much he could do about it.

He wasn't used to this face at all.

It wasn't overly masculine, but it was sharp. Sharp in a different way than his real one.

As if it had been formed by constant scowling.

That's the expression that fit the face best. As if during his youth, most of what the thief had done was all evil smiles and cruel expressions.

From what he knew about him, it could've been true.

Although, his face could also hold a neutral expression well, true smiles looked a bit awkward on him, he noticed. But to be fair, true smiles had _always_ looked awkward on him, even when he shared Yugi's body.

So this is what Yugi saw when he looked at him.

His hair fell in a mess over his shoulders, and he hadn't bothered to take off most of what he came back wearing. He'd been too tired and emotionally compromised upon his return to bother taking off even the jewelry.

He still wore gold, as well as clothes not exactly suited for sleeping.

He wasn't sure why he was brought back wearing this, nor why the thief was brought back wearing his old clothes. It didn't seem fitting.

It all seemed to be strangely as though someone wasn't paying attention when they allowed it. Or perhaps strangely like someone _was_ paying attention. As though their exact appearances that those around them would recognize was _planned_.

Finally taking the time to properly look down at himself, he started slipping gold rings off of his fingers, somewhat amused at just _how much_ jewelry he happened to be wearing.

He thought, briefly, that the thief probably had more gold on his person than he himself had at any given point in time. And that was extremely impressive considering his position.

He'd sell these to buy himself some new clothes. That'd be a start. They were most likely real gold. They were heavy like real gold. Besides that, if anyone knew the feeling of gold and how to identify it, it'd be him.

After all, his soul was bound to it for several thousand years.

Yes, everything he'd touched so far was real.

3 rings from his right hand, and four from his left.

Who knew how much a gold ring was worth these days. One made pure, like these, was probably worth at least a new wardrobe.

There he stood, still wearing the red coat that seemed to be the thief's trademark item, besides the Millennium Ring itself, of course.

He wore nothing around his neck, which he only realized now felt awkward, since he'd gotten so used to Yugi's belt that belonged there.

There was, however, gold around his ankles and wrists. He piled it with his rings and other gold possessions, wondering in passing just how much money he could possibly get from all this.

This was honestly the first time he'd had to let most physical feelings sink in. He'd been brought back, promptly rejected by his partner, and from then on was in far too much emotional distress to possibly notice anything physical.

It was only now, standing in the cold air-conditioned bathroom in the Mutou household, that he realized his chest was bare.

He'd vaguely noticed it before, he supposed. In passing thoughts. Thoughts answered in, "of course, that's how the thief dressed", and were left at that with no more explanation needed.

But now, shivering in a cold modern bathroom, he stood, dressed like he was some sort of museum display, with his chest bare, and in very un-modern clothes. He would have liked to be wearing something that Yugi wouldn't associate with the thief. Something more his tastes.

Of course, this wasn't all that different from what he wore, when he was alive. The first time, that is.

Because now he was alive again. And he was realizing that over and over. He was alive. Breathing. In a body that, despite not looking like what he thought himself to look like, was his own.

He wasn't used to hair quite this long, and it was what was throwing him off the most. Thinking back, he tried to remember where Yugi kept things like something he could use to tie it up with.

He put it up into an obviously inexperienced low ponytail, strands still hanging out here and there, but effective for keeping it out of his face.

He heard the creak of the floorboards, surprised, wondering if it was grandpa coming to see why Yugi had screamed a little bit ago. Perhaps the man would kick him out. Change his mind, after hearing his grandson so upset.

But upon opening the bathroom door to investigate, he found Yugi.

Their shocked expressions met.

Of course. He must have gotten up to use the bathroom. That would mean he was currently very in Yugi's way.

He moved to leave, wordlessly.

But Yugi still seemed surprised at the sight of him.

"You said...you said you weren't the thief..."

He sighed.

"And I'm not."

Yugi still seemed surprised. Why? Oh..was it because he had put his hair up, and adjusted his clothes?

He was holding the long red robe, all of his gold wrapped it in. He'd also taken the time to wash his face, remembering that lined eyes no longer served quite the same purpose here, mildly amused at himself when he'd realized that the tears he'd released earlier did most of the work for him.

The slight change in from original appearance seemed to have triggered something in his partner.

"I...I mean, I...s-sorry for being so cold to you...I really thought you were...you know..."

Was this all it was going to take to completely change his mind? Surely not.

"..It's alright, Aibou. Are you ok?"

Yugi looked shy. Timid.

"Yeah...you keep calling me that..."

He was starting to get used to Yugi not remembering. The surprise hardly made its way onto his face, because he was becoming used to the questions, and they were becoming less shocking.

"Well, yes...it's what I've always called you."

They stood in the dark quiet hallway, neither really knowing what to do next.

So the elder of the two took a chance.

"Are you ready to talk to me yet?"

Yugi gasped, seeming surprised he'd spoken at all. He wasn't sure what his partner was expecting. Wasn't sure what he'd expected this entire time.

"I...the nightmares were really bad...thank you...for waking me up...I'm sorry for screaming..."

He breathed a small sigh of relief. Yugi was still in denial, but he wouldn't be lost to him forever.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to. I know I don't look like myself right now."

There was an almost accusing look on Yugi's face at those words.

"I still don't believe you are who you say you are...but I...don't think you're the thief Bakura, either..."

"Good. Because I'm not. I am, however, who I claim to be."

Yugi looked saddened by this, strangely enough, and started taking steps back towards his bedroom.

"I'll be ready to talk to you...when you can tell me your real name..."

He looked at Yugi with confusion in his eyes. His real name? He knew his real name wasn't what Yugi wanted, but he couldn't help but try, as Yugi was slipping through his doorway.

"Atem...my real name is Atem..."

Yugi stopped. He peeked back out his doorway, and took a good look at the man standing before him. He looked pained, hearing the name again.

"Try again."

Yami's shoulders fell, disappointed. He'd tried.

The night continued on, uneventful. He'd come to find it was 3 in the morning.

It was a lot easier to sleep with all that extra jewelry off of him.

The next morning was also uneventful.

Yugi woke up wondering why he'd slept better and without nightmares for the second half of the night. He was grateful, but confused.

Nevertheless, he supposed he needed to get out of the house today. It was Saturday. Naturally, their first day home had to be a day when he couldn't as easily escape the person staying in the room next to his.

The following week, he'd just use school as an excuse. But no, today _had_ to be a Saturday.

He found an excuse to leave the house anyways, meeting with the gang for brunch and then probably the arcade.

He managed to get out the door without being followed, which was nice.

However, what he _didn't_ expect, was to run into someone, as he wasn't paying attention, halfway down the sidewalk.

An instant familiar voice.

Yami.

He backed up, apologized for bumping into him, and couldn't bear to look away from his eyes.

He heard his door close again, and looked back to see the thief close behind him.

His luck was awful.

It looked like Yami was going to be angry, until his expression changed completely, seeing the thief.

"Yugi, I came to find you."

It seemed off. Everything about it was screaming "wrong!" in Yugi's head, but he couldn't dare turn it down.

"Yami..?"

"It's me."

Yugi took a cautionary step back, and the man in front of him looked hurt.

"Aibou, please..."

It sounded _almost_ sincere.

"But you're...you're not..."

"He's trying to get you close so he can get his final revenge, Yugi! You can't trust him!"

It was his Yami's voice. His face. His mannerisms, to a point. It was _almost_ convincing. Almost. 99% convincing.

He wasn't sure.

"But I thought..."

"What's going on here?"

Another voice. The one that he knew he should have been scared of, but wasn't as nervous around anymore.

Yami glared at him, and he glared back, and for a second, it was completely 100% the way it should have been. Not confusing at all.

And then they started speaking again.

"Don't trust him, Aibou."

The white haired man behind him was incredulous.

"What?! Bakura! You dirty street rat! Don't you _dare_ speak to him that way!"

Yugi looked back and forth between them as they spoke.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You're a lowly liar, and if you try to hurt him, I'll kill you."

His insistence in the matter seemed overdone. As unsure as Yugi had been lately, this didn't help one bit.

Crimson eyes caught Yugi's, and he could see the pure urgency and need, in them.

"Don't listen to him. He's a dirty lying cheater, and he's going to try to get close to you, and then hurt you. You can't trust him for a single second, ok? Stay safe."

Yugi stood, confused.

The white haired man was behind him, looking more than angry.

His panic took over, and he ran.


	6. Chapter 6

The thief's plan was perfect.

He wasn't even completely sure why he was doing it. Revenge? He was sort of past that point, now. He was beyond revenge. His need for it had died along with his soul, when he'd crossed over.

His soul had been purified. Cleansed.

But that didn't change who he was as a person.

And who he was, was someone who liked to watch Yugi Mutou squirm.

It wasn't some long formulated plan, no.

In fact, he hadn't come up with this until he bumped into the kid, a few seconds ago.

The idea hit him when he realized how vulnerable Yugi still was, and how easily he could be fooled.

Something in the back of his mind was telling him it was mean. Of course it was mean. That was the point. To watch the kid hopelessly fall for his trap. To undo all the pharaoh's progress with him.

Because of course he knew he still had to be trying to convince Yugi of who he was. Obviously he hadn't gotten too far.

And now he'd just erased all his progress.

Thinking back it might not have been as funny as he'd thought.

Still worth it though.

Tricking Yugi was so easy he didn't even need to overthink what he was saying. Just spout some pointless chatter about killing anyone who'd get close to Yugi, and it'd be completely believable. It was almost sad that the child didn't recognize the soul who literally shared a body with him for so long.

Even he knew it wasn't like Yugi to be so hung up on appearances.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen some hesitance from Ryou as well, although he expected that. He hadn't exactly treated him the best, or even well at all most of the time, so he hadn't expected a warm welcome.

He hated to admit it, but he didn't know any more than the pharaoh did about why they were back. It seemed inconvenient at first, seeing as how they had no warning, but now it was proving at least entertaining.

He wasn't sure why he was dragged back here with his royal pain in the butt, seeing as how he thought he'd be perfectly capable of re-saving the world by himself.

There was always the option that Bakura was the very thing he needed to save the world _from_ , but he highly doubted that, seeing as how he didn't exactly feel capable of that sort of evil anymore.

He felt the same in that he had the same memories and knew he was the same man, but he couldn't deny that he felt different, too.

He was still the same spirit Ryou had known. At least in part.

He was the same person with the same memories and similar intentions and thoughts, but he had been cleansed of the deep evil he once contained.

Thus his inability, which he'd never admit aloud, to actually harm Yugi or the pharaoh physically. At least, he knew he couldn't _kill_ them. Harm, maybe. But he knew he wasn't capable of murdering them in cold blood. Not anymore.

Being brought back hadn't been as smooth as he'd liked people to believe, either. He was a creature of pride and also knew how and when to hide his pain or confusion.

He knew how to hide weakness.

Upon being brought back to flesh completely unexpectedly, in the wrong body, and then touched by his mortal enemy who thought he was his other half, he'd spent at least 20 minutes yelling at Ryou.

Thinking back, the boy probably didn't deserve all of that. He cared, but only minimally. He'd probably apologize for that later, in passing. A small almost unnoticeable apology said inbetween two completely unrelated sentences so that it doesn't seem like a big deal.

Apologizing wasn't something he was good at, but it wasn't like he'd never done it before.

People seemed to underestimate his humanity.

They, especially the pharaoh, seemed to see him as an inhuman entity of evil and wrongdoing. At one point that was closer to the truth, he supposed.

But now?

There was an unfortunate amount of humanity in him.

Of course, it didn't help anything that he was in the _wrong body_.

Because as much as he played it off like nothing, (extremely successfully, his thoughts added), it was still extremely confusing and disorienting to be someone else, the way they were. He was sure the pharaoh was even more thrown off than he let show.

To come back as suddenly as they did, with no warning, and then be in the wrong bodies?

If it had been anyone but them, he was sure it would have been a scene to behold.

He didn't like being this short. He felt like he lost half of his intimidation factor, along with his height. He had to look _up_ at Ryou now, and that made him beyond uncomfortable. He was only taller than Yugi by a few inches, if even that.

Ah, Yugi. Poor little runt.

He'd rarely seen such insistent denial before.

It was almost enough to pity the pharaoh, knowing what he must be going through. At least Ryou came to terms with body-switching almost instantly.

Ryou had been awkward, though.

Which brought him to the reason he happened to be out strolling in front of the Mutou residence.

He and Ryou had never quite gotten along smoothly, and neither of them expected this to be a seamless transition, but the arguments were rougher than he'd like to admit.

He'd gotten frustrated with his lack of height, lack of power over Ryou, and gone and hit him.

He regretted it. He hadn't told the boy that, yet.

He hadn't hit him more than once, or hard enough to cause any permanent damage, but he'd hit him, nonetheless.

He'd ruined Ryou's trust in him, at least for now.

Which brought it full circle at ruining Yugi's small amount of trust he was sure was blossoming towards the pharaoh.

He didn't quite regret that.

It was too clever to regret.

He was sure Yugi was terrified of the person he was currently playing host to, in a difference sense of the word this time around.

Ryou was scared of him, yes. But not the same way he used to be.

Ryou had realized in recent days, his power over him. He was taller. He wasn't stronger, but without their magic, they were only as powerful as their physical bodies.

His former host had figured this out already, and pinned him against a wall during one of their arguments.

Being trapped in his grip was absolutely humiliating.

He spent the time he had his former possessor and abuser pressed against the wall helpless, to explain that if they were going to make this work, this living situation and even this twisted relationship between guest and host, that he was going to have to put in some work too. Some effort.

Their arguments were largely vocal. The former spirit didn't have any specific desire to harm Ryou. Just frustration at the situation and his lack of power.

Before, if anyone had so much as touched him, he could make them pay. Getting pinned against a wall and talked to wouldn't have been a problem.

He wondered if Yugi had noticed the lack of their abilities. The pharaoh, even in the body he was in, held little threat this way.

Of course, as he'd learned in a previous life, knives and the willingness to use them went a long way.

But he was letting his brain get off track with meaningless details.

The real question was to find out why they were here and how long they were stuck here. Because while he was sure Yugi and the pharaoh didn't want to think about it, there was no promise of this being permanent.

Just because they'd been brought back didn't mean they were going to stay that way. There was no telling with these situations because they had literally _nothing_ to go off of besides perhaps an old vague prophecy. He honestly didn't see a reason for his being here, this time.

Being brought back this way had it's advantages, but they were few.

On one hand, there was an amount of being absolutely disgusted with himself. This was a man he'd hated for a long time, a voice that had more than gotten on his nerves that he heard every time he spoke now, an enemy's face in the mirror.

On the other hand, he was the face of someone who held great power.

Or, at least held great power several thousand years ago. If this has happened back then, he would have inherited the country. Now? He inherited ridiculous hair, and being height challenged.

Standing in front of the one who now owned his body, looking at him, watching him talk, was eerie. Even for him, it was a strange sight.

He knew little Yugi must have been very confused, especially with his denial on the subject.

Which would explain why he ran away.

He'd just run away, leaving them standing glaring at each other. Leaving him in front of a very angry former pharaoh, who happened to be considerably taller than him at the moment.

Was this what he used to look like to others? Of course, the pharaoh had a spark of mental stability that he knew he'd never possessed himself. At least, not before now. Of course, even the pharaoh had never been completely mentally stable himself. He remembered seeing him early on, before he even realized he was his own person. Those eyes weren't sane.

And now, they were full-on glaring at him. He didn't look happy, that's for sure. And with his combined height and ability to hurt people when he was angry, especially people who hurt Yugi, especially now when Yugi wasn't around and wasn't treating him the same...This could be a dangerous combination.

"How _dare_ you!"

His own voice spat at him with nearly as much venom as he would have put into it himself.

This could be fun. Dangerous and fun.

"What? Was he finally starting to trust you again?"

He was quickly feeling short as the man approached him. This new height issue wasn't something he enjoyed.

"It doesn't matter, now. I don't think he'll ever see me the same way."

Wasn't that a lot to admit to an enemy? He must have been in real emotional turmoil to let that slip.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I claim him?"

The man in front of him sighed. He was still angry, but he sighed hopelessly.

"This isn't the same as it used to be. We don't have to be enemies here. It's...easy to slip back into how we used to act, I know. But we don't have to...I don't know what the evil we're supposed to defeat here is, but it doesn't have to be each other. I can tell you're different."

Great. Here he was, trying to do his magic friendship thing. No. That wasn't acceptable. When he didn't get an answer, he continued speaking.

"If...if Yugi would prefer your friendship to mine...Just don't hurt him...He's kind and gentle and bright, and he doesn't deserve to be hurt, after everything he's been through..."

He did NOT come here to be attacked emotionally. He wasn't ready for this! They'd only been brought back days, hours, ago. And already Mr all-mighty pharaoh was trying to friendship him to death! No, he wouldn't have it!

"And why wouldn't I? When he's so vulnerable? When he believes me over anyone else right now?"

The former king gave him a pleading look, and then spoke quietly.

"I'm done playing this game with you."

At that, he turned and started walking away.

Done playing? No, he didn't get to be done playing! The game was life, and obviously they weren't done playing yet, seeing as how they'd been brought back.

He knew Ryou didn't miss him back home, and he was certain no one else on this miserable planet did.

So why was he here?

Why bring him back, after everything?

As his former enemy walked away, he felt an emptiness come over him. Different from the ones he'd felt before.

He'd felt empty before, yes. The kind of empty that leaves one willing to do anything because they have nothing. The kind that makes someone reckless and restless and _evil_.

This wasn't that.

This was the kind that he'd rarely experienced.

He felt alone in a way he didn't think he was capable of feeling. He'd always been alone. Ever since the one event that ruined the course of his entire life. The one that he could never ever bring himself to let go of.

But now, after everything was said and done, the items buried, his feelings voiced, soul cleansed, it was different.

He hated to admit it when the king was right, but it was different now.

The longer he was here, the more his vengeful feelings were fading. That wasn't how this was supposed to be. In fact, he wasn't supposed to be back here at all.

"Pharaoh, wait..."

The man who had been steadily walking away, his back turned, interest lost, turned around. This wasn't going to be an apology, no. That's not how this worked. He didn't know if he'd ever have it in him to sincerely apologize to the man. He didn't think he should. Didn't have to. But he had to say _something_.

He received an expectant gaze.

"It feels strange to me too."

It was more than he should have admit to him. More than he should have said. Far more information than he should have been willing to give. He wasn't sure what made him feel the need to give him that information, actually.

The look the other man was giving him, while not being as soft as the look he often used for his friends, was softer than any gaze he could ever remember the pharaoh directing at him.

A nod of understanding between them.

It was strange for once, to have something like this in common.

It was almost as if they were being able to start over on mutual ground.

Almost.

He still wasn't a nice person. Not by a longshot. His plan with Yugi wasn't over yet, either.

Everything was different now. He'd known it since the second he took his first new breath, in this body, this time around.

But this was just another sign of the fact.

Everything was different.

With that knowledge in mind, he started back towards Ryou's small city apartment, hoping being home wouldn't cause too much of an argument.

He'd find Yugi again later. For now, he needed to think this over. Needed to talk to Ryou a little more. Or maybe not. Needed to think about why he was back. What it meant.

The sun was still rising higher into the morning sky as he set off, trying to forget he was in the wrong body, in a world he didn't feel he belonged in.

Maybe he and the pharaoh had more in common than he originally thought.


End file.
